Decisions, Surprises, and Twists in the Road
by ICarryYourHeartInMyHeart
Summary: Tony gets some very surprising news and is faced with decisions that will affect his entire life. As always, Ziva is there to guide him through the tough parts, and the rest of the team supports him always. Story's better than the summary...I hope.Review?
1. Chapter 1

_**Alright, so I know I still have that Ziva pregnancy story to continue on and finish, but this little plot bunny invaded my thoughts and I had to put it down. **_

_**This doesn't really have a specific time, per se. It's probably set around this summer, after season nine as I feel like I should add twists concerning Ray and EJ sometime later in the story. But all I know right now is Jenny's dead, Michael's dead, Ziva's back from Somalia, and things are normal again. **_

_**Let me know what you think, if it's a good prospective story line, if I should continue, etc. I'll keep writing No Greater Joy as well as this fic, so don't worry. Just let me know what you think?**_

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><p>I picked up the bottle of bourbon and poured another three fingers into the glass. The man picked it up, tipping it gratefully in my direction before knocking back half of it. He'd come into the bar around ten thirty, waited out the crowds consuming only beer and peanuts; but around twelve thirty when people had cleared out either to hit the clubs or they had found someone to go home with, he started on the heavy stuff. First it was Jack Daniels and then had some of everything; from Johnny Walker Red to Greygoose vodka shots, tequila with lime and salt shots and then finally settled on bourbon. To say I was impressed with this guy's ability to hold his alcohol was an understatement; but nevertheless I watched as he steadily slipped further and further out of reality.<p>

I checked the time and was about to announce last call when the front doors slammed open angrily, sending a chill over the last remaining folks as a woman burst in. I was going to tell her that it was last call and unless she just wanted a quick drink there was nothing I could do for her, but the expression on her face stopped me cold. She held the look of an assassin who'd just locked target on her prey and her chest heaved as she inhaled and exhaled. I'd have hated to be on the receiving end of that glare and I followed her gaze to the man with the bourbon.

"Special Agent Anthony Derek DiNozzo, Jr.," she growled menacingly, and I was sure if her eyes could've burned holes into the back of his head he'd have erupted into flames.

The sandy haired man knocked back the last gulp of his drink before whirling around to face the newcomer. "Ziva!" he exclaimed happily, completely oblivious to her anger as he pushed himself off the barstool and stumbled over to her side.

"We have been looking for you for nearly two hours, we have a case!" she hissed, helping him back to the bar and pushing him in a stool. I could see the disgust on her face as his breath reached her nostrils and she pulled out her cell phone. "I've found him," she said shortly, then glanced back at the man whose name was apparently Anthony, "I do not think it is a good idea for him to come into work…his blood alcohol level is probably a hundred times over the legal limit, Gibbs…yes, alright…I will watch him…yes, okay, call McGee…he will call Abby." She snapped the phone shut and looked back at him. "Why, in God's name, did you not answer your phone?" she demanded, trying to get a coherent sentence out of him.

The guy looked at his lap before looking up at her with intense eyes. "Left it in the car….needed…to get wasted…" he stuttered, trying unsuccessfully to make her understand.

"Why? Tony, I know that the last case was hard but…" she trailed off, her voice considerably softer as she saw the vulnerability in her friend's face.

He looked back at me and motioned for another drink. I reached for the bottle but the woman held up her hand. "No more alcohol, do you have any coffee perhaps?" she asked, her chocolate eyes resting on me. She was quite exotically beautiful when she didn't look so pissed off.

"This is a bar, ma'am, not a coffee house," I scoffed, wiping the bar off.

"I smelled the coffee when I came in; I was asking out of courtesy. What kind is it?" she closed her eyes and sniffed the air, "Sumatra blend from the little coffee shop on J Street…and I think a hint of vanilla. It is in the back, yes?"

I stared at her with eyes wide. How the hell could she do that? "Do not worry, I will pay whatever it is you want for it," she pushed, so I turned to go pour a cup for the guy.

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><p>The bartender stared in wide eyed wonder at me as he turned to go get Tony some coffee. Once he was gone I looked back at my partner. "What's wrong, Tony?" I asked softly but insistently, placing my hand on his knee and leaning towards him.<p>

But his eyes instantly closed off and I felt him distancing himself, withdrawing into his inner shell. "Nothing," he answered emotionlessly, taking the cup of coffee that was set in front of him. I didn't push; watching as he slowly sobered up some and drank down Gibbs' beverage of choice. When he was done he set the mug on the counter and reached for his pocket, pulling out several bills to lie beside it. I wondered how long he'd been there. "Tell Gibbs I'll be late tomorrow," he said as he stood up, walking towards the door.

"Tony," I called, catching up to him outside and grabbing his arm to stop him, "I cannot let you get behind the wheel of a car. I promised Gibbs I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"Bill already called me a cab," he stated, scrunching his eyes shut at what I guessed to be the start of a pounding headache, "You should be off with CI-Ray anyway, I assume that's why he called - to tell you he's back." His voice was cold and cynical and sounded absolutely nothing like himself. A cab pulled up to the curb and he opened the door. "Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine," he told me, but wouldn't meet my eyes.

Before I could say anything, though, he shut the door and the driver took off in the direction of his apartment. I stood there in the shivering cold, shaking like a Chihuahua caught in a hurricane for a few moments before I remembered that Tony left his cell in his car; the same cell that he didn't get before he left. I trudged over to the small parking lot, searching for his car as the snow started to fall. I picked the lock quickly and got out anything I thought he'd want: cell phone, badge, backpack; then nearly sprinted to my own car, quickly turning on the heater and the heated seats.

The streets were dead due to the late - or early, depending on your perspective - hour and I made it to his apartment in fifteen minutes. I made the journey up the seven flights of stairs to his apartment, wondering what was taking so long for the maintenance people to fix the elevator. I stood in front of his door for a moment before knocking. I heard a soft thud and then the muted sounds of sock-covered footsteps coming to the door; a pause and then it swung open to reveal Tony's emotionless face. He was only wearing sweat pants and I took a moment to notice that he must have been working out lately judging by his suddenly muscular arms and the start of a very nice six pack.

"I told you, I'm fine," he repeated his earlier words, staring me in the face.

"I just uhm…can I come in?" I asked, my voice small as I avoided eye contact. He let out a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair.

"Yea, sorry, come on in," he muttered, stepping out of the way and pulling the door open further.

I stepped into the entryway and remembered the things in my hands. "Oh, here, you said you'd left your cell in your car and I thought you'd, uhm, want it. I grabbed a few other things you might want, too…" I explained, holding them out for him awkwardly.

His face softened slightly as he took his things from me. "Thanks, Zee," he said genuinely, meeting my eyes for the first time.

"Sure," I paused and then followed him as he went into the living room, setting his things down in the armchair that no one ever sat in, "So uhm, I thought you should know, after you made the assumption earlier…Ray is not coming back. He called to tell me that he was offered the assistant director position at their office in London and asked if I would move there with him. I told him…no." I let out a breath and averted my eyes, then after the long silence, "Well, that was all, goodnight…" I turned to head for the door but he stopped me with a hand on my arm.

"Ziva, wait, I…I'm sorry…" he trailed off, looking me in the eye before his expression changed abruptly and he released my arm.

I didn't understand what was wrong until his hand clamped over his mouth and he bolted for the bathroom. I sprinted after him as he made it just in time to empty the contents of his stomach into the toilet. I pulled a clean washcloth out of the cabinet and ran it under the cold tap before wringing all the excess water out of it. I kneeled beside him as he finished and slumped onto the floor against the side of the shower. I put his head on my lap and ran the cold cloth over his face, relieving the clamminess that would surely take root. We sat like that for a few moments before he pushed himself into a semi-sitting position.

"I came straight home when we got off and there was a message on my machine…from a big shot lawyer in Ohio…" he let out a halfhearted laugh, "So I called them back, like they asked. There was a woman who was single and had no family; an orphan, essentially. Her parents were both only children, so no aunts or uncles or cousins, and all of her grandparents are deceased. Do you remember that car accident a few weeks ago? The one that killed a woman instantly; big news, on front pages across the country?" He switched subjects quickly and I didn't see the connection but nodded anyways so he would continue. "Well, that was her and she had a three month old baby boy who she was on the way to pick up from daycare. They just got around to reading her will, hoping she left instructions on what she wanted them to do with her son. The will stated that she wanted him left with hid biological father. She'd undergone artificial insemination…so when they traced back the sperm donation to the bank and ran a paternity test…"

I inhaled sharply, covering my mouth with my hand. "Do not tell me…" I whispered, eyes wide and completely shocked. But he nodded, holding his head in his hands.

"Yea…he's mine," he breathed out quietly, "I don't know what to do…I can't let that little boy be put into foster care…but, I can't take care of a baby…" He looked up at me, eyes wide and questioning, desperate for someone to tell him what he should do.

I took a moment to think things over, turning them around in my head while I weighed the options. "I suppose it would not hurt to go to Ohio…at least see the child," I decided, "You might find you like him…"

"I…I don't think I can go by myself…" his eyes turned pleading.

"No, Tony, do not even think about it," I warned, leaning away from him with guarded eyes.

"Ziva, please, I need you," he whispered, and I saw all his walls fall. Behind them was this scared, lonely, little boy who had no idea what was going on; lost, abandoned, uncertain. The utterly raw emotion in his eyes broke me and I relented. I knew how hard it had been for him to let down those walls and admit his dependence.

"Alright…I will go with you to Ohio…" I whispered back, and he pulled me close, resting his head against my shoulder once more.

"Thank you," he breathed, and I circled him in my arms.

I had no idea what the hell I was getting myself into. But I did know that if Tony decided to bring back this little boy he would definitely need help…and a much bigger apartment.

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><p><em><strong>Please please review? Pretty please? <strong>_


	2. Chapter 2

**Alrighty, here's the next chapter. I decided half way through that I wanted it to be a boy instead of a girl so I've changed it in both chapters. So now he's getting a son. I just always liked the thought of having a boy first so that when I had a girl and they grew up he could beat up anyone who was mean to her.(:**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Thank you for all the wonderful comments, you guys, I'm soo super glad you liked it! Don't forget to leave another review to let me know how I'm doin!**

**-Sarah Elizabeth(:**

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><p>I sat staring out the window, deep in thought about how drastically my life was about to change. I knew when I decided to go to Ohio just to <em>see<em> the boy that he would be coming back with me; I couldn't leave him. As much as children seemed not to like me - besides Carson, he was pretty cool - I always had this little soft spot for kids. They were so innocent and hadn't been exposed to the horrors of the world like I'd been. They didn't know what it felt like to fall in love or have a broken heart or really understand the loss of a loved one. They were just so pure and innocent. I looked over to Ziva who was dozing off beside me as her head slumped onto my shoulder. I brushed her hair away from her face before turning back to stare at the blue sky and the clouds below.

I had lost myself once more in thought when the seatbelt light dinged on and the captain's voice came on over the intercom. "Hey, hey, hey folks! We're about to start our final decent into Columbus, so put away those laptops, gulp down those drinks, buckle your seatbelts and enjoy your time in Arch City!"

"Zi," I shook her gently and her eyes opened slowly as she sat up and stretched out her muscles, "Put on your seat belt, we're gonna land."

"Alright," she uttered, voice still thick with sleep as she strapped on her seat belt.

As we felt the pressure in the cabin shift she looked over at me, having shaken off the remaining vestiges of rest and retained her usual alert self. "Are you nervous?" she asked quietly and I felt the plane drop a few more feet.

I nodded my head, "Definitely. I don't know how good I'm gonna be at this Dad stuff…"

She reached over, taking my hand quietly, unsure of what to say but giving me her silent support. I was grateful for that.

The next two hours passed in a blur. The plane landed, we gathered our bags from luggage claims, got our rental car, checked into our hotel and were finally back on the road, trying to follow directions from Ziva's phone to the woman's house who was temporarily taking care of the baby. The mother's lawyer was supposed to meet us there in ten minutes.

"Turn…on the next street…no, not this one, the next one, Tony!" Ziva instructed exasperatedly.

"I know this town better than you do," I bit back, finally turning on the right street.

"Alright, keep going, this is the three thousand block, we need to be at the eight thousand block," she replied, ignoring my comment.

With not a moment to spare we pulled up in front of a pretty little stucco house with a big front yard shaded by a giant maple tree. A bench swing hung over the porch and every window had little plant boxes overflowing with fragrant colorful flowers. There was one car in the driveway and another parked in front of us on the street. I looked at Ziva across the top of the car as we got out and when I came around the car she grabbed my hand again. We walked up the little brick pathway to the door and I took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. The shape of a person appeared behind the stained glass door and Ziva squeezed my hand once more before it swung out of the way.

"Mr. DiNozzo?" The woman asked, staring at us expectantly.

"Please, call me Tony," I corrected, "This is Ziva, she's a good friend and colleague of mine."

"Nice to meet you both, please come in," she invited, "My name is Agatha Bussarti, you can call me Aggie though. Annie's lawyer is waiting for us in the dining room. Please pardon the mess; I hadn't a chance to tidy up."

"Not a problem," Ziva answered good naturedly.

We followed her through the house and saw several toys and stray articles of clothing lying around. She must have other older kids. When we made it to the dining room a man with a charcoal fedora and matching suit was sitting at the table with several papers laid out in front of him. He stood as we entered.

"Hi, I'm Jim Lowry, Annie's lawyer, God rest her soul. You must be Anthony DiNozzo, and who might you be?" He introduced himself and looked at Ziva and I.

"You can call me Tony. This is my very good friend Ziva David," I answered and Ziva stuck her hand out.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," she greeted politely.

"You as well; shall we get down to business then?" Jim asked, and before we could answer he launched into the explanation of everything that had happened, and Annie Walker's specific wishes as to what happened to her son. After he finished his little speech and was done explaining he met my eyes. "Are you prepared to take custody of this child and care for him as your own?"

_He IS my own, _I thought sarcastically, but kept a straight face. "I am," I agreed decisively.

"Alright, then let's start with the paperwork. As the boy's biological father there won't be any need for you to go through the adoption process; you'll just have to sign a few sheets of paper for the change of custody," Jim informed me, pulling out several sheets of paper and placing them in front of me.

I signed every line that he instructed and finally handed them over to him. He grinned a crinkly-eyed grin and stood up, offering his hand. "Congratulations, Mr. DiNozzo, you're a father!" he said, shaking my hand firmly.

I couldn't help but smile back, and I noticed Ziva smiling as well. "Thank you, Mr. Lowry," I replied.

"I will go get the child. He's taking a nap upstairs," Aggie announced quietly, and left the room gracefully.

"Now, there's something else you should know that I didn't mention. I wanted to be sure you would care for the boy regardless of the circumstances," Jim stated, his face becoming serious, "Annie Walker's parents were very wealthy and very careful of how they spent their money. So when they passed on, they left Annie their entire estate and all their money. She was never the kind of woman to want such wealth and so never touched a penny of it; adding her own savings as well. She left everything to the biological father of her child, and the child himself. It is yours to do with as you please. I will leave you the paperwork for the bank accounts and houses you've acquired; but I am positive it is enough to care for both you and the boy for life."

Ziva and I stared at him in shock. It took me a few moments to recover. "How much are we talking about here?" I stuttered, gripping Ziva's fingers tightly.

"Well, it all depends on what you choose to do with the houses and property left to you. I suppose if you sold it all it would add up to about…" he whipped a small calculator out of his inside suit pocket and typed in a few figures, "This much." He turned the small screen to us and I almost fainted.

"Five billion dollars?" Ziva exclaimed, "That cannot be right!"

"It is roughly the amount you will get, depending on the real estate market and if you choose to sell," Mr. Lowry allowed.

"Wow…" I breathed out, that was a crap load of money. I could stop working. I could buy a house instead of an apartment. I could pay off my car and student loans. I could be a stay at home dad. I could buy _my_ dad out of debt. But…did I really want to leave NCIS? Never. I could figure out how to be a dad and keep my job at the same time, right? Other people have done it, so why can't I? Geez, a Dad. A chill ran down my spine. I'm a dad now.

Aggie came down the stairs with a baby carrier in her hand, the opening facing away from us, and a diaper bag slung over her shoulder. "Here is your son, Mr. DiNozzo," she told me, and set the carrier down and pushed back the cover revealing the cutest little boy I'd ever seen.

He was still asleep and long thick lashes framed his little eyes. He had a little button nose and the teeniest hands and feet I'd ever seen. Loose curls the same color as my hair clung lightly to his scalp and he fidgeted slightly where he lay. I knelt down in front of him and reached forward to touch his hair and run a finger down the side of his face. Slowly his eyes blinked open and he stared up at me with dark river blue eyes he must have gotten from his mother. He didn't cry, though, just looked at me and sucked on his pacifier.

"Can I hold him?" I asked hesitantly, not looking away from him.

"Of course, he is your son, Mr. DiNozzo," Jim answered with a light chuckle.

As I reached down to unbuckle him, I asked, "What's his name?"

"Levi Aedyn," Aggie answered quietly.

I smiled at the sound of his name and reached inside to pick him up. He fit in my arms perfectly and I stood up straight, not even realizing that I was rocking him gently as I turned around to look at Ziva with the hugest grin on my face which she returned in full. I looked back down at my son. My son. God, that sounded so strange to my ears. My son. My son. My son. I looked up at the three of them standing there, nervous and unsure.

"So, uh, what do I need to get? Like a crib, changing table, some stuffed animals…I don't know what babies need…" I asked, looking down at this little tiny human who was just staring up at me like he knew exactly who I was.

"Don't worry about that. Annie had the best of everything. We can ship it overnight express to DC for you, and leave you with just the essentials you'll need to fly back," Jim answered, calming my fears. Seemed like everything was taken care of; the only thing that was missing was me, and now that I was here everything was all set and ready to go.

"Thank you, Jim, for everything," I whispered, gazing back down at Levi then at Ziva, "You wanna hold him?"

"Sure," she nodded, stepping closer and cradling her arms for me to tuck him into. I watched with a huge grin on my face as she looked down at him with a smile and cooed softly, "Hello, little Levi, your name means harmony, did you know that? You are so precious, and you have the most amazing dad in the whole world," she looked up at me with a grin, "He's beautiful, Tony. Congratulations."

I smiled at her and looked down at Levi. This tiny little human being depended on me now. It was my job to feed and clothe and bathe him; take him to the doctor when he got sick and teach him how to ride his bike and play baseball; put him through school and send him to college; and support him no matter what. We stood there in the hallway for a while longer, and I felt the whole world shift around me, though nothing changed. It was like suddenly it was no longer gravity holding me here, keeping my feet planted firmly on the ground; it was Levi who kept me here. I'd only just met him and I was already tied around his tiny little fingers. Fatherhood was going to be a bumpy ride, and I knew there'd be times when I'd just need to call Gibbs and ask him for help. But I was actually looking forward to it. As scary as it would be, I knew it would all be worth it in the end. The hard part was going to be telling the team when we got back. I hadn't exactly told them the specifics of _why_ Ziva and I were going to Ohio. I knew this would be one hell of a surprise though.


	3. Chapter 3

_**So sorry for the delay! Things have been crazyy around here! Hope you enjoy, leave a review please?(: **_

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><p>I was starting to think this was too good to be true. This baby was amazing. He hardly made a sound; he wasn't fussy or annoying like some of the other screaming children I'd witnessed parents trying to control in public. It was easy to tell when he needed something. I came to recognize that when he needed to be changed he'd screw up his face and wave his hands all around; when he was hungry he'd pat my chest. He was calm and generally pretty happy for an infant.<p>

We were just coming off the plane when I looked down to see him screw up his face again, waving his hands to get my attention. Come to think of it, I needed to use the restroom as well. I hated airplane restrooms ever since the flight back from Paris. Something about seeing the US Marshal with a knitting needle in his carotid artery made me a little hesitant.

"Hey, I need to go to the restroom and change Levi's diaper. Do you mind going on to the luggage claim and I'll just meet you there when we're finished?" I asked Ziva, taking the diaper bag from her shoulder.

"Of course, I will gather our luggage and wait for you by the carousels," she agreed, taking my carryon from my left hand.

"Thanks, Zee, you're the best," I grinned, and disappeared into the nearest men's room.

Ziva walked past security to where she knew the baggage claim was. The carousels were moving at a casual pace, giving luggage of all shapes, sizes and colors a ride through the airport. She had just pulled their two suit cases off when she heard someone calling her name.

"Ziver!" She froze, recognizing the voice of the only person who was ever allowed to call her that. They still hadn't figured out how to tell the team. She turned around slowly with a put on smile.

"Gibbs," she called back happily, wheeling the luggage over to where he was waiting.

"Where's DiNozzo?" he asked, giving her a hug and kissing her temple.

"He's, ah, in the restroom; still does not like the ones on the plane since Paris," she explained and he just nodded in understanding.

"So how was Ohio? Meet up with a lot of Tony's fraternity brothers?" he snickered, a rare smile making its way to his face.

"Ah, no, not exactly," she responded carefully and tried to ignore the way Gibbs was looking at her.

"Ziver," He spoke her name quietly, giving her the chance to say something willingly.

"Well, you see, Tony had some…business to take care of there, and he needed my…support, so I agreed to come along," she tried explaining.

"What kind of business?" He wanted to know.

"Well, let's just say, you would never be able to guess," she responded, seeing Tony approaching from behind Gibbs. She widened her eyes at him slightly and saw the recognition and panic in his face as he realized who she was standing with. Gibbs saw her expression and turned around to see Tony with a diaper bag over his shoulder and a baby carrier in his hand.

"Heh, hey, Boss," Tony greeted with forced enthusiasm as he came closer, trying to stay calm and collected.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs responded shortly, then eyed the odd accessories Tony had acquired.

"Ah, so I'd like you to meet Levi," Tony stated, turning the carrier around so Gibbs could see the tiny resemblance of Tony, "My son."

Gibbs stared at Tony for a moment then looked at the baby, back to Tony, then to the baby once more and back. He stepped closer to Tony who braced himself for the head slap that was coming but was surprised to be given a rare genuine hug from his boss. "Congrats, DiNozzo," he offered, stepping back and bending down to see the child, "Levi? What's his middle name?"

"Ah, A-Aedyn," Tony responded, not sure what exactly had just happened.

"Can I hold him?" Gibbs wanted to know, looking back at his senior field agent.

"Wha- oh, yea, yea of course," Tony answered, setting the carrier on a nearby seat.

Gibbs leaned down and carefully unstrapped Levi before lifting him up and out. He cradled the infant in his arms and Levi just peered up at him with the pure, honest curiosity only children seemed to possess. Levi picked up a little hand and touched Gibbs' mouth, pulling on the older man's lip. Gibbs, for his part, just smiled and cooed at the gorgeous little boy. "Seems you've got a lot to tell me, Anthony," Gibbs observed, looking up at Tony with an easy expression before looking back at the newest little life in front of him.

"Of course, boss," Tony answered immediately.

"Why don't you come by my house tonight? I'll make steak," Gibbs offered, not looking at his agent as he grinned down at the little baby.

"Sure, okay," the younger man agreed, nodding his head nervously.

"Ziver, you too?" Gibbs finally looked away to look at his only female agent who'd come to be like a daughter to him. He was very interested to know her place in all this.

"Of course, Gibbs," she agreed, nodding her head as well.

"Well come on then, let's get you all home," the older man stated, walking off still holding Levi and leaving Tony and Ziva scrambling after him.

Ziva poked her head into the conference room. "He is ready, Gibbs, he has just come from the Director's office," she stated, then disappeared back into the hallway.

"Ready for what, Gibbs? Please, just give us a hint!" Abby begged, bouncing in her chair and looking quite like a child begging to know what she was getting for Christmas.

"Abby…Abby, settle down," McGee instructed, laying two hands on her shoulders and holding her still.

Gibbs looked at the four people seated in the room. Ducky with Palmer beside him on one side of the table, and McGee and Abby on the other. "Tony would like to introduce you to someone he's just gotten to know," he told them calmly.

"Oh no," McGee groaned, "Not another one of his dates." The young agent put his face in his hands and groaned again. Gibbs chuckled.

"No, it's not a woman," he disagreed.

"Tony has a boyfriend?" Exclaimed Abby jokingly, bursting into giggles at the thought.

"Not exactly…DiNozzo?" Gibbs turned to the door expectantly and a second later the door handle turned and Ziva stepped in.

"We already know you, Ziva," Abby stated, folding her arms over her chest.

Ziva laughed and moved aside for Tony to step in. Levi was cradled in his arms, his deep blue eyes looking at everything he could see. Abby let out a gasp and Tony looked up from the baby. "Guys, this is Levi," Tony stated with a nervous kind of smile, "He's kind of my son."

Abby was out of her seat and standing in front of Tony before he could register the movement. She was bouncing up and down and squealing softly. "Can I hold him, Tony, pleeeaasee!" she begged, looking at him with puppy dog eyes.

"Sure, Abs, but no bouncing," Tony instructed, moving a fussy Levi to his aunt's arms.

"Tony, how…?" McGee trailed off, coming to stand by Abby.

Ducky and Jimmy had risen to see the baby as well. "He looks just like you, Tony!" Jimmy grinned, everyone peering over Abby's shoulders to see the tiny infant.

"Quite," Ducky agreed, "But do tell us how this came about. None of us were aware of any pregnancy."

Tony sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, knowing he was going to have to explain the whole story over again. "You had all better sit down for this, it's kinda long," Tony instructed, giving Ziva a look who promptly stepped forward to take Levi who was squirming and fussing softly, reaching for Ziva eagerly as she approached him.

As Tony explained how the entire thing came about his four audience members listened intently. All of their eyes kept flitting to Ziva who still had Levi in her arms. His left hand was gripping a fist full of her curls and his left hand had Ziva's necklace in his mouth. Ducky was paying attention to Tony's explanation but also examining Ziva's relationship with the child. She was very comfortable with him, smiling and cooing and making faces; and vice versa. Levi seemed to be very comfortable in Ziva's arms, just staring around and grabbing at whatever he could reach, with consisted of her hair, necklace, ears, shirt, and so on.

When Tony finished, the room was quiet save for Ziva's cooing and the sound of Levi sucking on her necklace. Ducky stood from his place and approached her slowly, stopping right in front of her. Levi looked up at the older man with curious eyes, taking in the bow tie, suit, glasses, warm eyes and kind smile. But he curled himself closer to Ziva, unwilling to allow her to pass him to the stranger. He gripped a handful of her long hair and pulled it over his face, obscuring Ducky's view of him.

"He is quite attached to you, Ziva," Ducky observes plainly, not moving his eyes from Levi, "The way a child reacts to his mother."

But Ziva just shrugs it away, so Ducky steps away and sits back down. No one quite knows what to say, and surprisingly, Tim is the first to speak up. "Well, congrats, Tony, it'll definitely be fun watching you figure out fatherhood," he grins, but his eyes are clear and sincere, devoid of mischief or ill meaning.

Tony let out a small laugh. "Thanks, Probie," he smiled at his colleague and friend.

The others stand and spread their words of encouragement and congratulations. They take turns standing before Ziva and smiling at the boy who will not allow her to pass him to anyone else. Palmer manages to coax a gummy smile from Levi which makes him ecstatic.

"Hey, Tony, I'm sure Breena and I would love to babysit for you some time, if you want. She'd love the practice before Paul arrives," Jimmy offers, looking up from Levi and referring to his four month pregnant wife who's starting to get crazy cravings and making Jimmy take midnight trips to the supermarket to pick up her latest appetite inducers.

Tony meets Ziva's eyes from across the room where he's talking with Ducky, and the look on their faces is identical. It couldn't have gone smoother. Neither was sure what to expect of the team's reactions, but didn't dare to hope for such calm acceptance with little questions, save for Ducky's. This hurdle, at least, had been cleared. The next was much bigger and far more difficult. Tony's one bedroom, one bath apartment was much too small for the three of them, as Ziva had taken to staying at his apartment to help with Levi. The next thing on their to-do list: Find a place to live.


End file.
